It is always difficult and challenging to oxidatively color hair to a lighter color than the base hair shade, particularly when the base hair shade is black or very dark brown. There are basically two functions taking place in an oxidative hair color process: lifting and color deposit. Lifting involves bleaching melanin from the hair. Color deposit occurs when the oxidative dyes then impart color to the bleached hair strands. In order to oxidatively color hair to at least two shades lighter than the base hair shade it is critical that both lift and color deposit be optimal.
There are oxidative hair color kits on the market that purport to provide high lift and color deposit in one step. For example, L'Oréal Superior Preference® les True Brunettes is an oxidative hair color kit that the manufacturer states is for use in coloring dark hair to an ultra-lightening brown with no brassiness; and L'Oréal Féria Hi-Lift Browns a kit that the manufacturer advertises is suitable for lightening the color of very dark hair to a lighter brown shade. However, both kits provide for a one step process, e.g. the oxidative hair color is combined with a 30 volume developer and used to color the hair. The lifting and color deposit occurs in one step. While the process is generally effective, when lifting and coloring occur in one step the degree of lift (or lightening) is often not optimal. In addition, such processes generally provide color deposit that tends to be very ashy with purple or green tones. This occurs because the manufacturers of such colorants incorporate these shades to counteract the brassiness that sometimes occurs.
Further, even with kits like this it is difficult to obtain a final hair color that is more than two levels over the base hair color shade. Such products are also generally not acceptable for use on gray hair since they provide a tone that tends to be green or purple.
Salons have procedures for oxidatively coloring hair to a lighter shade that are completed in two steps. In the first step the hair is oxidatively colored with a high lift composition to remove melanin, followed by a second oxidative color procedure where an oxidative dye and developer are combined and the mixture is used to color the hair. However, this two step procedure involves application of oxidative compositions in both steps, which in turn may produce color that is less than optimal.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an oxidative hair color method and compositions for lightening dark hair that will provide lightening that is up to, or greater than 2 levels more than the base hair color shade, but without brassiness and the other drawbacks associated with the traditional one step processes.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for oxidatively coloring hair to a shade more than one or two levels lighter than the base hair color shade.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method for oxidatively coloring dark hair to a lighter hair color.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a two step high lift method for oxidatively coloring hair to achieve hair color with improved vibrancy and reduced brassiness.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a two step high lift hair coloring method where the color deposit is true and vibrant.